Railway-switch.



No. 767,518. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. O. GUSHWA & 0. D. HARPER.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 22, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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RAILWAY SWITCH. Arrucnmn rum) APR. 22,1904.

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WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES CHARLES GUSHXVA AND OMER D.

RAILWAY- Patented August 16, 1904.

HARPER, OF GARRETT, INDIANA.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,518, dated August 16, 1-904.

' Application filed April 22, 1904:.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES GUsHwA and OMER D. HARPER, both citizens of the United States, residing at Garrett, in the county of Dekalb, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in railway-switches.

The object of our present invention is to provide an improved railway-switch in which the signal or target lamp is at all times stationary instead of moving or being thrown with the switch, thereby avoiding all danger of putting out the light in the sudden movement of the switch, which often occurs.

Another object of our invention is to provide improved switch-throwing mechanism adapted to multiply the power of the operator and also adapting our switch for use as a derailing-switch where a hand-operated switch for that purpose is desired.

Our invention consists of a switch-stand in which is pivotally fulcrumed a vertical switchshaft having a limited movement, provided upon its upper end with an operating handlever and having upon its lower end a rigid pinion, a rotary tubular target-shaft having upon its upper end a fixing-housing for the switch-light and adapted to serve as a target in daylight and provided upon its lower end with a segment-gear adapted for a meshing and actuating engagement with the said pinion on the switch-shaft, and a fixed shaft arranged loosely within the said target-shaft adapted to support the switch-lamp.

The novel features of our invention reside in the relative arrangement and cooperation of the target and lamp shafts, whereby the lamp remains stationary when the switch is thrown, and in the switch-throwing mechan- Serial No. 204,310. (No model.)

ism, by means of which an increase of power is secured.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our invention, partly broken away and partly in vertical central section to show the relative arrangement of the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same with the switchbar and hand-lever broken away in part. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken on the line 0 w of Fig. 1 to show the relative arrangement of the meshing segment-gear and pinion and the pivoted switch-bar.

Referring now to Fig. 1, our switch stand or base consists of a housing 1, open upon its lower face and closed at its top and provided with a vertical extersion 2,having an opening 3 for the upright target-rod 4, which is loosely mounted therein, carries upon its lower enda rigid segment-gear 5, which is supported by and has a suitable bearing on the base-plate 6, which in turn is rigidly secured to the upper face of the housing 1 by means of bolts 7 or in other proper manner. This extension 2 has a fixed or integral vertical tubular standard 8, adapted to loosely contain the vertical switch-shaft 9, whose lower end is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing in the plate 6 and whose upper end has a fixed collar 10, having cars 11, between which is pivoted the upper end of the hand-lever 12, by means of which the switch is operated in the manner hereinafter described.

At or near the top of the tubular standard 8 is arranged a fixed or integral arm 13,

whose outer free end has a vertical opening 14, through which the target-rod 1 passes loosely and which is adapted to form a guide for the upper portion of this rod and prevent derangement thereof in use. This arm 13 is ment of the switch-shaft 9 in both directions by contact with the ears 11.

The lower end of the shaft 9 has a rigid segmentgear 17, adapted for an actuating meshing engagement with the segment-gear .5, as shown in Fig. 3.

The target-rod 1 is tubular and carries upon its upper end a suitable housing 18 for the switch-lamp, preferably rectangular, colored red upon two opposite sides and colored white or other proper color upon its other two sides to adapt it for use as aswitch-target for ordinary daylight service. This targethousing is provided upon its four sides with a proper glass or bulls-eye 19 of proper color. This housing 18 is rigidly secured to the rod 1 by means of the collar 21 and the set-screws 23 or in other proper manner.

lVithin the tubular target-rod 1 is loosely arranged the upright rod 20, whose lower end passes loosely through the segment-gear 5 and is rigidly fixed in a suitable perforation, preferably angular, in the base-plate 6. On the upper end of the rod 20 is fixed in any proper manner a suitable switchlamp 2 1, which is centrally located in the housing 18 and shows equally through each bulls-eye 19 at all times.

On that side of the segment-gear 5 farthest from its companion cooperative segment-gear 17 is arranged an apertured lug 25, to which the bifurcated inner end of the thrust-bar or switch-lever 26 is pivotally connected and which passes loosely through asuitable opening 27 in the housing extension 2 and has its outer end pivotally connected to the movable switch-rails (not shown) in any proper manner.

The operation of our invention thus described is obvious and, briefly stated, is as fol lows: The operating hand-lever 12 normally hangs in the pendent position shown in Fig. 1 from its pivotal support in the ears or lugs 11 and at one limit of its horizontal adjustment and is secured in such position in the usual or other proper manner. hen it is desired to open or close the switch, the operator elevates the hand-lever 12 toa horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, after which he rotates the switch-shaft 9 in the desired direction thereby to the other limit of its adjustment, where the hand-lever 12 again assumes the vertical position as is secured therein between the lugs 16 and the corresponding end of the flange 15 by any proper look, as described. As the segment-gear 5, to which the switch-lever 26 is secured, has a much greater radius than does the meshing actuating-gear17, it follows that the operator thus secures a multiplied power for the operation of the switch over the usual construction, thereby adapting it for use with a derailing-switch to be operated by hand in situations where the usual tower is not desirable.

As the above-deseribed operation correspondingly rotates the target-shaft 4: about the stationary lamp-sumiorting rod 20, the usual liability of extinguishing the switch-lamp by a sudden jerk in the opening or closing of the switch is avoided.

Our improved. switch is thus simple in construction, gives a multiplied power in its operation, and is positive, efficient, and reliable in action and can be readily employed either as a common railway-switch or as a derailing hand-operated switch.

Obviously the tubular standard 8 may be omitted or variously modified, though its use is preferred.

It is evident our switch may be usefully em ployed with thelamp-shaft omitted, the lamp being placed upon the target shaft in the usual way, though we prefer the construction described.

Having thus described our invention and the manner of employing the same, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A railway-switch consisting of a base or stand; a vertical tubular standard fixed on said base adapted to contain the switch-shaft, and provided upon its upper end with a lateral arm to stay the target-shaft; a switchshaft loosely mounted in the said standard having its lower end rotatably mounted in the said. base and carrying a rigid segment-gear, and provided upon its upper end with an operating-handle; a vertical tubular target-shaft having its lower end rotatably mounted in the switch-stand and carrying a rigid segmentgear adapted for a meshing engagement with the said gear on the switch-shaft, and provided upon its upper end with a fixed housing-target for a proper lamp; a thrust-bar pivotally connecting the said segment-gear on the target-shaft with the movable switch-rails; and a lamp-shaft loosely arranged within the target-shaft having its lower end fixed in the switch-base and provided upon its upper end with a stationary switch-lamp.

2. In a railway-switch a fixed base; a verti cal switch-shaft having its lower end rotatably mounted in the said base, and provided with a rigid segment-gear; means for rotating the said shaft; a vertical target-shaft rotatably mounted in the said base and. carrying upon its lower end a gear of greater radius than that of the said segment-gear with which it forms a meshing engagement; means for connecting the last-named gear with the movable switch-rails; a housing-target fixed on said target-shaft; a fixed vertical rod loosely arranged within the target-shaft and carrying upon its upper end a removable lamp.

3. In a railway-switch a fixed base or stand; an upright switch-shaft rotatably mounted in the said base, and carrying upon its lower end a rigid gear wheel or segment, and provided upon its upper end with means for rotating Signed by us at Garrett, Dekalb county, IO the said shaft; a target-shaft rotatably niount- State of Indiana this 16th day of April, A. D. t ed in the said base and provided upon itslower 1904:. end with a rigid gear of greater radius than 5 the above-named gear adapted for a meshing engagement with the gear on the switch-shaft;

and means for pivotally connecting the said Vitnesses: gear on the target-shaft with the movable J B. HERSH,

switch-rails. P. A. GEUGLER. 

